Coffee and tea lovers, rejoice; decaf fans, rethink. Those cups of caffeine could lower your dementia risk, new research suggests.

In a long-term, observational study of nearly 132,000 healthy adults, daily consumption of two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of tea was associated with lowering dementia risk, slowing cognitive decline and preserving cognitive function. The findings were published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“We are not recommending that people who don’t drink coffee start drinking,” said lead study author Dr. Yu Zhang, a research trainee at Mass General Brigham in Boston. “We are just seeing that for people who already drink coffee, the results are really reassuring.”

Decaffeinated coffee didn’t yield the same neuroprotective benefits.

In addition to Mass General Brigham, scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard studied the health and caffeine habits of health professionals from two research datasets, which collectively spanned 1980 to 2023.

The first involved more than 86,000 women, whose average age was 46, from the Nurses’ Health Study. The second involved more than 45,000 men, whose average age was 54, from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, a complementary project focused on men’s health.

To measure intake of regular coffee, decaf coffee and tea, participants completed diet questionnaires every two to four years. After a median follow-up period of nearly 37 years, more than 11,000 people had been diagnosed with dementia.

People who consumed more caffeinated coffee or tea were less likely to develop dementia, with a stronger association among those 75 and younger. Specifically, people who drank the most caffeinated coffee had an 18% lower risk compared with those who drank the least. Among tea drinkers, people who consumed the most had a 14% lower risk than those who consumed the least.

Researchers also determined the optimal number of cups, or 8-ounce servings, of each beverage. Compared with people who didn’t drink coffee or tea, those who had two to three cups of caffeinated coffee or one to two cups of tea per day had the lowest dementia risk. That’s about 300 milligrams of caffeine daily.

What’s more, the association between caffeinated coffee and tea intake and dementia risk held true for people who were at high risk of developing dementia, including those with the APOE4 gene, a significant genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

Even so, Zhang said, dementia is a complex condition that can’t be wholly prevented by dietary intervention.

“Drinking coffee alone does not provide the magical effect that can prevent people from getting dementia,” he said.

Caffeine’s cognitive benefits are hard to isolate

Globally, 57 million people were living with dementia in 2021, according to the World Health Organization. The condition disproportionately affects women, and Alzheimer’s disease is its most common form.

Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a preventive neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, said her patients often ask her what they can do to decrease their odds of developing dementia, including whether coffee may help or harm them.

Previous research on coffee, tea and dementia risk has been inconclusive, said Niotis, who wasn’t involved in the study.

“It is really a big challenge to disentangle the effects of coffee as a whole from all of the other compounds that are also in coffee — and tea,” she said. “It’s definitely possible that these other compounds are interacting with each other, or synergistically with the caffeine itself, to exert some benefit.”

Beyond trace amounts of vitamins and minerals, such bioactive substances include polyphenols, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, she said.

“The method of taking out the caffeine from coffee is not just extracting the caffeine; it’s also extracting other polyphenols that are in the coffee,” Niotis said. “It’s easy to say, ‘Well, it’s the caffeine that’s beneficial.’”

The new research has several limitations. It didn’t differentiate between regular or decaf tea, or tea type, such as black, green or white. Coffee preparation methods weren’t specified either. Factors such as roast level, bean origin and brewing technique may influence concentrations of caffeine and other compounds, the authors wrote.

Participants also self-reported caffeine consumption via soda and chocolate, which aren’t typically considered healthy.

In terms of total caffeine intake, researchers found that people who consumed more caffeine had a lower risk of dementia.

Coffee, tea may help safeguard cognitive health

Another part of the study measured participants’ subjective cognitive decline and objective cognitive function.

At several points throughout the follow-up period, all participants completed questionnaires that tested memory, attention, executive function and visuospatial skills.

Additionally, women older than 70 were tested using telephone-based cognitive assessments, including the East Boston Memory Test. Older men weren’t tested.

Higher intake of caffeinated coffee and tea was associated with lower prevalence of subjective cognitive decline and slightly better objective cognitive performance.

Benjamin Katz, an associate professor in the department of human development and family science at Virginia Tech, researches how lifestyle factors can influence cognitive function throughout a person’s life. He noted that the study didn’t cover energy drinks, which in shot form may contain more caffeine than a cup of coffee.

More research is needed on caffeine’s possible neuroprotective effects, said Katz, who wasn’t part of the study.

Additionally, the study didn’t mention whether people added milk, cream, sugar or other sweeteners to their drinks. Katz’s research has discovered a link between sugar-sweetened beverages and increased risk of cognitive impairment.

“If you’re drinking a couple cups of coffee but you’re putting sugar and milk into it, that may be counteracting the effects,” he said. “But [diet]’s really only a small component of a much larger set of lifestyle decisions that you would want to be focusing on to maintain brain health during aging.”

Aerobic exercise, for example, has been shown to support cognitive function, Katz said.

“In addition to things like getting enough sleep and not smoking, another big one is cognitive engagement, like doing a lifelong learning program,” Katz said. “If you’re an older adult, those are things that are really valuable.” (NBC News)

The post A cup (or 2 or 3) of coffee or tea a day helps keep dementia away appeared first on Newswire.

Sri Lanka’s Department of Export Agriculture (DEA) and Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) have signed an MoU to develop a ‘roadmap’ to further develop Sri Lanka’s emerging specialty coffee sector.

The new agreement is aimed at developing a roadmap for the sector, which will outline the current status of the market, identify gaps and highlight key action points.

MDF will also work with the DEA to improve the quality of coffee processing, conduct sector-relevant training, and share MDF-developed training modules with farmers and processors.

The MoU was signed during the fourth annual Sri Lanka Coffee Festival held in Kandy last week.

The event was hosted by the Department of Export Agriculture (DEA), in collaboration with Australia’s Market Development Facility (MDF) and the Lanka Coffee Association (LCA), to celebrate 200 years of coffee in Sri Lanka, with the DEA launching an official commemorative stamp.

A highlight was the online participation of Sunalini Menon, President of Coffeelab, India, known as “Asia’s First Lady of Coffee”, who shared her global insights with the industry.

Sri Lanka’s coffee industry is making a comeback, with increasing production and demand, and this year’s Sri Lanka Coffee Festival was a testament to this transformation. Held for the fourth consecutive year, the festival celebrated 200 years of Sri Lanka’s rich coffee-growing heritage. The festival was attended by coffee farmers, roasters, retailers, coffee enthusiasts and other key stakeholders.

This year’s festival marked a new chapter in public-private collaboration, as the DEA merged its annual Coffee Day celebrations with the LCA-MDF flagship event, the LCA Sri Lanka Coffee Festival.

Director General of the DEA, Damayanthi Samarasinghe, stated that, “Sri Lanka’s coffee sector is at a pivotal moment, and the DEA is proud to be at the forefront of its revitalisation. As coffee has become a priority crop, supporting the Coffee Festival reflects our commitment to restoring its place as a globally recognised export. Through this partnership, with MDF and the LCA we aim to expand high-quality production and develop a national roadmap that will help us unlock new trade and investment opportunities, including stronger linkages with markets like Australia.”

Australian Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Lalita Kapur, was also the Chief Guest and shared that, “Australia has been a committed supporter of Sri Lanka’s coffee journey since 2017 through MDF. It’s been a long but rewarding road, and we’re so pleased to see the sector gaining greater recognition with each passing year. The Australian government is proud to support Sri Lanka in its goal to increase inclusive economic growth. Sectors such as this one have demonstrated the value of increasing private sector investment, which, in turn, as exports have increased, have helped Sri Lanka strengthen its foreign exchange earnings. Now in its fourth year, we’re delighted to see the Sri Lanka Coffee Festival continue to grow and even more pleased to have the Department of Export Agriculture come onboard to support this celebration of local coffee, connection and opportunity.”

The festival included interactive panel discussions, launching an official commemorative stamp marking 200 years of coffee cultivation, a hands-on barista training and live demonstrations of brewing techniques by experts. The DEA also gave out prizes for several categories, including Best Farmer and Best Processor, and awarded the winners of a coffee art competition for schoolchildren.

Festival participants also had the chance to savour the island’s best brews at a special coffee tasting expo, featuring a variety of locally grown speciality coffee.

A highlight of the festival was the online participation of Sunalini Menon, President of Coffeelab, India, known as “Asia’s First Lady of Coffee”, who participated in the event in Sri Lanka for the first time to share her global insights with the industry. Her presence was made possible through the support of MDF, marking a significant step in raising the bar for local coffee standards.

Chairperson of the LCA Kushan Samararatne, stated, “The coffee festival this year marks another milestone for the coffee industry in Sri-Lanka with the DEA, partnering with the LCA and MDF to co-host the event. One of the main objectives of forming the association 4 years ago was to unify the sector and align the activities of all stakeholders to a common path to ensure the most effective and efficient development of the sector; this combination proves how far we have come as an industry in a short period of time.”

He added that coffee culture is on the rise and explained that Sri Lanka is emerging as a serious speciality coffee-growing nation.

The event was supported by Colombo Coffee Company as Gold Sponsor and Hatton National Bank as the official Banking Partner, reinforcing growing commercial interest in the sector. (Newswire)

The post MoU signed with Australia to develop Sri Lanka’s specialty coffee sector appeared first on Newswire.

India achieves a significant milestone. The country’s coffee exports hit a new record high, exceeding 1 billion dollars for the first time.

Coffee exports reached 1,146.9 million dollars between April and November 2024, up 29 per cent from the previous year.

This is according to the centre for monitoring Indian economy (CMIE).

The sudden spike in exports’ value is due to the surge in robusta coffee prices.

The need to stock up in anticipation of the new deforestation law imposed by the European Union also led to the export surge.

This regulation will increase the cost of coffee and other agricultural exports to the EU.

India’s coffee exports increased over 12 per cent to 1.28 billion dollars for the full year in 2023–24.

In 2022–23, the country’s coffee exports were valued at 1.14 billion dollars.

‘Robusta coffee prices surge’

The surge in exports is driven by higher demand for robusta coffee in global markets.

Among the most important destinations for Indian coffee exports are turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, and Russia.

India eyes to fill the gap amidst global production challenges, with the cost of arabica surging to the highest level since 1977.

The primary driver is Brazil’s record-breaking drought, which has significantly impacted its coffee crop — the world’s largest.

Vietnam, the leading producer of the cheaper robusta bean, also faced weather-related challenges.

A lack of rainfall during the growing season cut output by nearly half in some regions.

Beyond weather conditions, geopolitical and logistical challenges add pressure to coffee prices.

Disruptions to shipping in the red sea and potential US Tariffs have complicated the global coffee supply chain. (WION)

The post Indian coffee exports surpass $1 billion for the first time appeared first on Newswire.